christopher dorner is wanted in multiple shootings spanning six days across southern california. the 33-year-old said he's declaring war on the lapd after losing his job with the department back in 2008. according to his lengthy and rambling online manifesto he wants revenge until his name is cleared. he writes the violence of action will be high, i will bring unconventional warfare to those in lapd uniform whether on or off duty. dorner is accused of fatally shooting a couple in irving, firing on cops in chino and firing on two police officers killing one of them. his vehicle was found in the big bear area but no sign of the man as police described as armed and dangerous. >> reporter: this burned out truck belonging to murder suspect christopher dorner was found thursday afternoon in the mountains two hours east of los angeles. but dorner himself was nowhere to be found. >> dorner is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

>> reporter: a former navy reservist and expert marksman, dorner posted a lengthy manifesto on facebook detailing threats against police officers he intended to kill. dorner claims he was treated unfairly when fired from the l.a. police department in 2008. he filed a wrongful termination case against the lapd but lost the case. >> the people with whom he had a grievance are fair game and so were their families and so were any other police officers on and off duty. >> reporter: the killing spree began sunday with a double homicide in orange county. the daughter of a former lapd captain who represented dorner in his suit was killed along with her fiance. then on thursday morning he shot and injured an officer and shortly after that ambushed two more at a traffic light killing one. >> during the morning's chaos police mistakenly shot and wounded two women delivering newspapers when officers thought

they had spotted dorner's truck. >> of course he knows what he's doing. we trained him. he's also a member of the armed forces. it's extremely worrisome and scary. >> reporter: in his manifesto, dorner says he won't stop until his name is cleared. stephanie stanton, nbc news, los angeles. it was a day of heated questioning for the man president obama wants to head the cia. john brennan was pressed hard on the use of drones and enhanced interrogation techniques by members of the senate intelligence committee. government memos leaked earlier this week showed drones had been cleared for use against u.s. citizens suspected of working as terrorists. nbc's tracie potts is live with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. brennaned defended and strongly defended the use of drones but distanced himself from how the bush administration questioned terror suspects. >> truth, the full truth and

nothing but the truth. >> reporter: it looks like john brennan is gaining the support of several lawmakers, after defending drone attacks on terror suspects and even americans. at least three killed so far. >> any american who did that should know well that they in fact are part of an enemy against us and that the united states will do everything possible to destroy that enemy to save american lives. >> reporter: drones are used against imminent threats, he said, not as payback. but some are still concerned if it's legal and asked what if the cia takes out the wrong person. >> we've got to see, all -- any and all, of those legal opinions, the ones that the bipartisan group of senators asked for before the vote. >> would that individual please -- >> reporter: protests prompted lawmakers to clear the room just as brennan was getting started. >> i also believe it is important for you to set the record straight. >> reporter: brennan also tells lawmakers he objected to questionable interrogation tactics. >> waterboarding is something that's reprehensible and shouldn't be done.

>> democrats are confident he will be confirmed. >> he was honest, he was forthright and answered the question. >> he's the guy for the job and the only guy for the job. >> reporter: next week, the panel meets to discuss classified material. of course, that classified material now includes the administration's legal justification for using those drones. >> tracie potts, live in washington, thanks so much. don't panic but our planet is about a week away from a close encounter of an extraordinary kind. the asteroid with the not so sexy name of 2012 da14. about half the length of a football field is going to whiz by earth. nasa says it will whiz by the earth at a safe distance of 17,000 miles but beneath the altitude of orbiting satellites. british researchers are warning of the effects of a solar superstorm which they expect to happen soon. unlike minor flare-ups, experts caution ones like this one could

cause blackouts, cripple mobile phones. stay tuned for that. turning back to the top story, the massive winter storm bearing down. >> it's going to be bad because it's the northeast. so many people affected by it. we'll see a period later on tonight into tomorrow morning with visibility is just going to be so poor that being out on the roads is going to be just treacherous from areas like new york city up through hartford through providence, rhode island and over into boston too and moving into central and northern new england. it's coming in pieces. we have a lot of moisture network with and a lot of cold air moving in as well. blizzard warnings are posted all along the coast of new england with eastern massachusetts likely the area that will get hit the hardest with power outages, a lot of wind damage, wind gusts could be as high as about 60 to 65 miles per hour. you can see boston could end up

with more than two feet of snow. new york city should be closer to six to ten inches and hartford 12 to 18. that's the east. out west we have some weather of your own from san francisco down into l.a. we have a lot of showers out that way and those will continue to affect the coast of l.a. temperatures will only be in the 40s and 50s on the elko, nevada could end up with a wintry mix. snow in the northeast and rain in california. it should wind down tomorrow. >> i would take the rain if i had a choice. >> so i would. >> thank. defense secretary leon panetta's almost last day on benghazi and

david beckham's latest foray into the nether world.

welcome back. here are some other stories making news this morning. while being grilled by the senate armed services committee outgoing defense secretary leon panetta strongly defended the pentagon's response to the september 11 attack in benghazi that left chris stevenson and three others dead. panetta told lawmakers there just wasn't enough time to get attack aircraft to the scene. today, president obama will speak at a farewell dinner for panetta. who will be replaced by chuck hagel if replaced by the senate. and michelle obama plans to travel to chicago to attend the funeral for 15-year-old hadiya pendleton. an honor a student and band majorette who participated in the inauguration festivities. hadiya was the victim of gun violence last week. fatally shot about a mile from the obama home.

no arrests have been made. >> now to our big story of the day, that potentially historic blizzard bearing down on the northeast. if jim cantore shows up in your town it's bad news. jim is live in boston this morning. jim, how bad will it be? >> reporter: going to be bad. i brought a yardstick with me. we're starting with nothing. nothing on the ground pap few patches. we're ready to measure this thing. a high impact event coming from the northeast and that's why the governor said look we want you off the roads by noon. all non-essential, non-emergency personnel please be off the road by noon. we just have to think back to this blizzard that happened in 1978 almost 35 years ago to the day that crippled boston. thousands of cars out on the roads. people having to abandon their cars just to get out of the cold. they do not want a repeat of that. it's not just boston it's portland, it's providence, it's

hartford, it is new york city here but, again, very strong words out of the governor's office where they are prepared for this. the salt trucks are ready, the brian is down, mother nature needs to roll in which she will do soon. >> ground zero. moving on to business. wall street is bracing for a blizzard but the trading will go on. keep an eye on linkedin today. the professional social media network shot up 10%. thanks to earnings that nearly doubled. boeing stocks go higher. federal investigators have given the green light to testing of the 787 dreamliner. officials are still investing the jet's battery problem. we'll see how apple fared day after green light capital david einhorn called the company out for it's stockpile of cash. apple said it's considering the proposal of shares. they could build a stack of dollar bills. 9,000 miles high.

they could foot the country's education bill for two years. they could give every apple employee a $1.7 million bonus. or better yet, give every american a check for $437. >> david beckham hadn't claimed he did all the stunts for his commercial we wouldn't have to show you. but since he said he did. the verdict is 37-year-old beck did use a butt double. tough research. check this out. a two lane plow. plus no snowstorm can stop the madness of the most pampered pooches on the planet. the dog show comes to new york. you're watching the ear"early today" show.

welcome back. now to some other stories that caught our eye this morning. we start in florida where a 70-year-old woman lost control of her suv and plowed through a restaurant window just as it was getting ready to open. a very agile bartender inside was able to leap out of the way, and he sustained only minor injuries. in michigan one snowplow definitely sweeps away the competition. it looks like a trailer but swings around wide enough to clear two lanes of highway at

once. even better, it's half the price of normal plows. in new york, almost 3,000 dogs and owners are primping for the prestigious westminster dog show. after a good run these purebreds need a break. we begin with sports. a fantastic finish illinois against number one indiana. >> and they pull off a last-second miracle here at home. how about that! are you kidding me! >> he got it! knocked off number one indiana. >> the fighting illini fought back with a 13-2 run in the closing minutes to stun the hoosiers. next to missouri's and texas a&m. aggies down one with seconds on the clock when a&m's fabyon harris with the crushing three-pointer and the win over missouri, 70-68.

>> 49ers quarterback colin colin kaepernick decided to soothe his pain. before the big game he had those words on his chest but now he's added some serious artwork to his pecs, shoulders and neck line. imagine what it would look like if you won the game. just ahead a leaked memo tells rock stars, musicians and singers not to show too much skin. plus more canine antics, this one you got to see.

good morning. welcome back. all eyes are on the northeast and this blizzard warning that's posted all across the coastline, especially up new england where boston, especially, could end up with about two feet of snow and wind gusts up to 60 to 65 miles per hour. on the west coast we're talking about rain, temperatures this morning are in the 30s and 40s but we've got scattered showers from san francisco down to. there a. off and on throughout most of the day today and then eventually push eastward later on tonight. casper, wyoming will see more of a wintry mix. the pacific northwest is dry for today. then as we start off the weekend, still dry in seattle on saturday. we'll tap out around 47 and then snow in salt lake city, denver will most likely see snow and change over to rain as temperatures in denver top out in the lower 40s. but san francisco the sunshine returns on saturday with highs

in the mid-50s, los angeles a little cool, topping out in the upper 50s on saturday. if you're looking for a comedy this weekend, you really only have one choice. jason bateman and melissa mccarthy star in "identity thief." the newest comedy from the director of "horrible bosses" expected to finish ahead of. "side effect." if you're dieing to bring back that loving feeling with goose and maverick, you can check out "top gun 3d." >> here's bill murray sporting fantastic facial hair at a celebrity golf match. the caddie shack star winds up lying down in a sand trap. and finally cbs is telling artists at the grammy awards to keep their breasts, butts and genital regions covered up. thong-like costumes are also a no-no. telling artists not what to wear is setting yourself up for failure.

we'll wait to see who decide to break the rules. one pooch may be training for the x games. norman the sheep dog was playing with his owners when he developed a flare for riding bikes, scooters and skateboards. he stars on hallmark channel's "who let the dogs out." it looks like a human dressed in a dog costume. >> it does. he's so good at that. how do you train a dog to do that. >> can't train my dog to sit or behave. >> mine knows if there's no treat in my hand she's not sitting. >> this is a big joke on the rest of us. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

well, sports and drones may have dominated the headlines this week but from cowboy monkeys to late night jokes there were plenty of memorable moments. the week got off to a super start with an electric super bowl performance by beyonce that turned the lights out. but baltimore fans still saw the lights. one touchy super bowl ad got more play than ever, even though will ferrell puckered up for the

big game. also in sports, skier lindsey vonn had a terrible crash. and this tiny tot became a basketball prodigy. even president obama skeet shooting. and a cowboy monkey named whiplash and his friends stole the rodeo. yes, that's a monkey. in washington, senator marco rubio chimed in on a debate. tupac or big-e. >> i think tupac lyrics are more insightful. >> real hot topic was about drone strikes. and chris christie got some laughs too. >> i knew this was going to be a song. >> shooting scenes at a california school were luckily a police drill and not real. in texas, former president george h.w. bush enjoyed a post-hospital cocktail.

and a 22-year-old chicken farmer has grown so fond of his flock he has picked up the language. >> it's like i just picked up an egg in this box. come lay your egg. it's -- >> okay. i'm sure he knows the chicken that they're trying to communicate. >> hey, if it makes his job easier, good for him. >> and the weekend with beyonce, it's always going to be a big week. >> i was thinking of you when i saw the halftime show. that was an unbelievable performance. >> she shut it down. she's the queen of the world now. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments on those stories and the best political analysis on msnbc. and tonight, be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. al roker has your latest forecast live from boston as this massive winter storm bears down on the northeast this morning. and as the manhunt continues for a former cop suspected in revenge killing, new details on the alarming manifesto he left

behind. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm mara schiavocampo. thanks for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.

>> dorner is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. >> more information on the manhunt for the ex-cop accused of killing three. what police found that could lead them closer to a break in the case. >> i'm just happy she's okay. >> she thought it was a joke.

they were there to rob her house. we'll tell you about the frightening moments for a bay area grandmother who fought back against her attacker and won. plus, caltrans issuing a new report about the safety of one bay area bridge. speaking of bridges. how about a live look at your bay bridge in the city by the bay. beautiful looking san francisco to start your day on this friday morning, february 8th. this is "today in the bay." all right. all right. all right. it is friday morning. just always feels good to say that. doesn't feel so good to say 4:31 but we'll help you get through. good morning, everybody. i'm jon kelley. >> it is a tad early. it is friday. lots to get to this morning. let's check the forecast. good friday morning with christina loren. >> good morning to you, jon and laura. we have snowfall come down in parts of the bay area. we'll start with this picture of big sur. look at all of the white